Love Assassination
by HoneyFlower15
Summary: Time has passed since graduation day but Asano is still keeping his eye on Karma. All day he's noticed that the boy's attention is on his phone, making his emotions run wild. He follows him to the park and learns the cunning red devil had a soft spot for his former glasses-wearing classmate who seems to have a secret admirer at her new school. He's expecting interesting results.


From the time he was born, Asano has always known he's better than the those around him. His intelligence impressed all the adults, and his charisma always manages to charm everyone around him. He had always believed that was nothing that he couldn't do. But then during his last year of junior high, he encountered a group of misfits that populated E-Class, the end class that was supposed to be the worst students in the entire school. But somehow that one class had managed to change not only his father's academic system but open his eyes to how the world works.

While he hated it, he had learned to accept defeat and the knowledge that comes with it. He felt he had matured and grown more as a person after suffering his losses from E-Class. Though he would never admit it out loud, he often found himself enjoying the many battles he faced against them. Not surprisingly their sudden rise was because of the teachings by Koro-sensei. He has learned all about the strange tentacle being from Akabane. The redhead had explained many things to him about what conspired last year in that class and while he found some of it hard to believe there had been enough substantial evidence for him not to doubt a single word.

The only story that he had barely been given any details on was the way their teacher died. From the darkened look he saw cloud over the boy's eyes he knew it wasn't his place to pry and didn't ask for further details. He doubted it was a pleasant experience and besides it wasn't any of his business. That matter involved only those in E-Class.

Akabane had been the only one to stay within the Kunugigaoka school system, and the two had been battling against each other since day one. They had both achieved top marks to give the speech at the opening ceremony, but Akabane had denied it, stating he had other things to do. The boy had arrived just minutes before the service started and since then teachers have been looking for ways to kick him out. He often wonders if that was the boy's intention that day because he seems to enjoy messing with their teachers far too much.

"Good morning, Asano." A group of girls greeting him brought him out of his train of thoughts. Offering them a pleasant smile he wasn't surprised to see them swoon and whisper amongst themselves. They were halfway through their first year of high school, but some things never change for him. Still, he had to say that his intuition about things have heightened since he started this year. He didn't know why but the moment he set foot into the school he's felt an ominous presence.

Sharp violet eyes scanned the corridors of his school, opting to not go to class right away and instead check to make sure that everything and everyone was functioning correctly. He was only a first year, but he had already been named student council president. It didn't surprise him; this had been his plan from the beginning. With the band wrapped around his arm he carefully examined every inch of the school but saw nothing out of order, and everyone he came across seemed the same as always. Students who were to absorb in their own worlds to notice anything that wasn't themselves.

Rolling his eyes at their behavior, he made his way to his classroom. That feeling had still yet to leave him, and it bothered him. What could be causing this feeling that had the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up? _"Strange…"_ he noticed the closer he got to his classroom he felt a cold presence overtake his entire body. The season was beginning to change, but this cold sensation was like ice was forming down his spine. His instincts were warning him to stay away, but his mind told him he had to face this head one.

Straightening himself out and taking in a few deep breaths to calm his body down he opened the door to his classroom, not surprised to see the ominous aura that he had been sensing that morning was surrounding it. He will admit that he was taken aback when he saw the cause of the ill-omened feeling. Or would it be more accurate to say that he should have expected this?

Sighing to himself he walked into the classroom; the other kids were all pressed up against the walls, fear shining brightly in their eyes as they all tried not to make any noise or sudden movements. He rolled his eyes at their behavior. "Akabane," he walked towards the redhead. For whatever reason, the two boys were seatmates, placed in the very center of the room right next to each other. "Is there any particular reason why you're letting your bloodlust out so profusely?" He asked calmly, taking his seat and setting up his books for the first period without even batting an eye. This kind of presence didn't even bother him anymore. After years of living under his father's bloodlust, this kind of feeling only gave him a slight headache. Now that he knew the cause of that ill feeling he's had all morning he didn't care too much about it. Though that didn't mean he wasn't curious.

Looking to his left, he saw that Akabane Karma, known throughout Kunugigaoka for having the grades and strength that could rival his but had a devilish personality. In the beginning, there had been a few who were attracted to the boy, offering him fake praises for climbing his way back up to the top. Asano saw him make quick work of those few who tried to brownnose their way into being the boy's friend. The boy's temper and violent streak weren't a mystery, practically everyone has heard the rumors of the many fights he's been in, but today something was off. He was sitting in his seat; hands shoved violently in the pockets of his jacket. Asano could make out the tight balled up form his fists were in. He wouldn't be surprised if he somehow ripped the fabric. His head was bent forward, the tips of his red hair covering the top half of his face but if you managed to look closely, you could see the bloodlust that was shinning in his eyes as he stared coldly at his phone. The small device was placed in the center of his desk and if looks could kill that phone would have exploded by now.

Asano studied the boy. He had completed ignored him and everyone in their classroom, staring only at his phone and seemed to be releasing his bloodlust subconsciously. Whatever message he received it had captured his attention, and it was causing this bizarre reaction.

Soon their teacher walked in, and even they were stunned by the feeling this room had. The poor older man was trying to get the class started but even he was too terrified to speak out against the boy. This is how their first period went on, the teacher trying to teach but his anxiety was making it hard to understand him. He shook and quivered the entire time he stood facing the board. Usually, Asano would have spoken up, done something to make Akabane cease in his bloodlust so that their lessons could continue without any interruptions but he didn't. Instead he too was staring at the boy's phone. He wanted to know what sort of message he had received that caused the boy to behave this way.

After being made aware of the exists of Koro-sensei and the strange activities the former students of E-Class had experienced he'd come to realize there was much more to life than what meet's the eye.

He did not know what caused the boy to behave in this manner but he had a feeling it involved another student of E-Class. For now, he would wait to see what happens next.

First period came to an end, signaling a quick break in between classes, and at that moment Karma's phone went off. Said boy all but snatched it up, bringing the device only a few inches away from his face. With how hard he pressed down on it everyone was amazed he didn't crack the screen. He read over the message, eyes scanning over each and every word that was sent to him.

Suddenly his bloodlust disappeared and in its place was a much calmer and happier attitude.

Everyone in the room gave a sigh of relief, happy to be able to breathe easy again now that the tension was gone from the room, but Asano was even more confused. For their entire second period, he noted that Akabane looked a little too pleased with himself. He hardly took any notes and sat there with a wide grin on his face. It wasn't the typical grin he wore when he was pulling a prank or teasing someone. This one looked happier than the one he was known for. It was odd and disturbing.

The bell rang, signaling the end of their second period and once more Asano heard the redhead's phone go off. Not missing a beat the redhead picked up his phone to read the message. Soon that peaceful aura disappeared, and annoyance took its place. He scoffed, typing a little to hard on his screen before shoving it onto his desk again. He spent their entire third period with his lip curled upwards, face resting against his fist, as he stubbornly wrote down some notes. Although his handwriting was more worm tracks than anything else. His mind was evidently elsewhere and whatever he was thinking about it annoyed him beyond belief.

When third period ended, Asano was starting to get annoyed himself. Hearing the boy's phone go off once more he looked to see who the hell was messaging the boy and causing these annoying mood swings to take place. He did not know what kind of conversation they were having, but it was very obvious that it was affecting the boy. Looking to his left, he heard Karma give a light snort, his annoying melting away into a much softer look. It was strange; he seemed almost content with what he saw. Typing out another reply, this time he gently placed the phone down and behaved as he always did for their fourth period. He took notes, acted like he was bored out of his mind as he spun his pencil around in-between his fingers, and when the teacher called on him, he gave his response in his casually bored tone.

When lunchtime finally arrived Karma got up from his seat to leave, phone held loosely in his hand, Asano sighed in relief. He did not know the cause of what caused the boy to behave so emotionally today, but it had given him a massive headache. He could barely concentrate in any of his classes because he was too distracted by what was going on. Sitting next to a person who let his bloodlust out so easily was very annoying. Still he was immensely curious about the reasoning behind this matter. _"As the student council president, it is my duty to help any students in need."_ He smirked to himself, already devising a plan.

The day had continued without any incident. He was pleased that Karma had finally stopped with his mood swings long enough for them to get through a test without any interruptions. But that damn phone had to go off once more. Asano mentally cringed when he heard the device vibrate during the break before their last class of the day. So far he was the only one who seemed to pick up that the phone is the source of the redhead's strange mood swings today. While the rest of their classmates continued on without so much as batting an eye, Asano watched intently as the boy next to him picked up his phone to read his message. Whatever was written in it would determine how the boy would react for the remainder of the day.

To his surprise, he saw that same pleased grin spread across his face, and he swore there was a twinkle in his eyes. _"What the hell is with this fool?"_ he was starting to get a headache from trying to understand what made Akabane Karma tick. Sighing to himself he carefully titled his head over, making sure to mask the movement as he exchanged the workbooks from his desk. He wasn't able to make out the entire message, but he saw something about the park that is only about a ten-minute walk away from their school.

For the rest of their last class, Karma sat there with a wide grin on his face; head turned to gaze out the window. The teacher had called on him numerous times, yelling at him to pay proper attention but the boy recoiled by answering the questions written on the board and even the ones that the teacher had yet to explain. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, the boy surprised everyone yet again by jumping out of his seat and running out the door.

Asano sighed, annoyed by his horrible manners and disruptive behavior. How someone like him rivaled him in academics was beyond him. Unlike his seatmate he packed up his items in a neat and orderly fashion, stopping to say goodbye to his classmates and to the students that he passed by in the hall on his way out. The rushing mop of red hair sprinting out the gate of their school caught his attention. He watched from the second-floor window as the boy ran at top speed, soon disappearing from his sight. _"No matter,"_ he smirked to himself, slowly changing out of his indoor shoes into his regular ones. Bidding his final farewells to the students of his high school he set off on the same path he knew Karma went on. _"I'll find out what's going on one way or another."_ He didn't know what caused the boy to behave in such a manner today at school, but he was going to find out. Especially if it involved their old teacher. The strange events that happened at their junior high had been unknown to him, but he still noticed the strange phenomenon. This time, however, he would make certain that he would uncover the truth about the antics the former E-Class students got into. You don't just return to a normal life after what they had gone through.

It didn't take him very long to reach the park, and sure enough, he saw Karma sitting on a bench, his iconic carton of strawberry milk in his hand as he scrolled through his phone. He scoffed, nose scrunching up in a cringe as he looked at the bright pink box. He did not understand how the boy could be so addicted to those drinks. The mere sight of them makes him ill.

"Any special reason you're being extra stalkerish today?" Karma looked up from his phone, a smirk on his face as he took a long sip of his drink. He was well aware of how the strawberry blonde boy felt about his favorite snack. "You kept watching me all day today. I know I'm pretty and all but did you have to make it so obvious." He joked, his grin widening in hopes of getting a reaction out of the boy.

He glared at the redhead, his annoyance starting to peak. "The reason for my staring is because of your obnoxious mood swings."

"Mood swings?" Karma cocked his head to the side, holding the straw of the milk in between his teeth as he did so.

Asano could feel his blood pressure rising. "You looked ready to kill someone this morning, and then you switched to happy to annoyed to content and last period you looked like you had just won the lottery." Was this idiot really not aware of the way he was acting? If so that was even more annoying. "Explain yourself, Akabane! Does your attitude involve something with E-Class?"

One thing red eyebrow rose in amusement. "So that's what this is all about," Karma sighed, jumping off the bench and tossing the now empty carton of milk into the trash. "You think we're planning something, don't you?" he crossed his arms, smirking at him. He's told him all the stories about Koro-sensei, and he was amused to see just how enthralled the boy had become. He was convinced the death of their teacher wasn't the end of the story.

"Well, are you?" Asano placed one hand on his hip, staring straight ahead at his academic rival. Most people avoided eye contact when they faced either of the two, especially if they were angry, but for the two of them, they took it as a challenge. Whoever looked away first loses.

"Karma-kun!"

It was Karma's loss this time but said boy couldn't even be bothered to care. All but jumping on his feet he moved in front of Asano, looking all around until he saw who called his name. "Okuda-san!" he waved the girl over, beaming brightly when he saw her entering the park. Slowly he turned his head around to face his rival. "Get the hell out of here." He said darkly.

The sudden mood change took the boy back, but he didn't falter. "And why should I?" he flashed a smirk of his own. "This is a public domain. I'm allowed to be here if I want to be."

A shadow appeared on Karma's face as he glared at the boy who was refusing to leave.

"Karma-kun!"

Hearing her call his name again had the dark express disappearing from his face instantly, and the smile was right back on. "Hey there," he waved her over, beaming brightly when he saw her running towards him. "Whoa, what's with you Okuda-san? Are you that happy to see me?" his voice was light as he teased the shy girl but her reaction to it confused him. Instead of blushing bashfully she came to stand behind him, hands fisted tightly as they clenched his uniform jacket as she peeked her head out from behind his shoulder.

She huffed, her two hands pressed on his back as she tried to catch her breath. "I'm so sorry to involve you in this, but I really need your help."

"With what?" he wouldn't ever say no to helping her. He just needed to know what she needed help with.

"Okuda-san!"

Or rather who she needed help with.

A boy wearing the male uniform of Okuda's school approached them, running at the same fast-paced speed she had been running at. He had straight black hair and green eyes, he looked around their age and had attracted the attention of a few onlookers thanks to his natural good looks. He stopped in front of the three, panting softly as his gaze caught hers. "I've finally caught up to you." He beamed brightly, attention solely focused on the girl that he didn't even take notice of the two boys that were there.

Asano raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of this new character. He certainly hadn't been expecting this when he followed Akabane to the park, but he had a pretty good idea of what was going on now. Turning his sights on said boy he wasn't the least bit surprised to see the bloodlust that was starting to leak out. Rolling his eyes he turned his attention back to the scene, waiting to see how things would play out.

A tight smile formed on Karma's face, the dark aura from before slowly starting to develop again. "Okuda-san, who's this?" his shoulders tensed, his fist clenched as he subconsciously pushed her further behind him. He turned his head around to look at the girl hiding behind him, his eyes glowing with a dark emotion that hadn't been present for a long time. The heavy tone of his voice and the bloodlust he was emanating was making everyone who came near them run in the opposite direction.

Okuda shook her head, her cheeks a soft shade of pink. "He's the classmate I was messaging you about. The one who gave me the letter." She spoke softly, clearly embarrassed by this whole scenario.

With a sharp twist of his neck, Karma's attention was on the male who had chased down the girl. The bloodlust stronger now as he sneered at the dark-haired teen, hands coming up to crack his knuckles one by one.

"Okuda-san, please reconsider your answer to my confession," oblivious to the deadly looks he was receiving said boy stepped closer. "You and I would be so perfect together. Once you start going out with me, you'll realize that soon enough." He argued, only inches away from the glasses-wearing girl that was still hiding behind the redhead. He tried to reach out to her but was stopped by a harsh grip.

Holding the other male's wrist in his hand, Karma forced him to his eye level. "She's not interested. So either you back off yourself," shoving him away hard enough to knock him on his ass, Karma straightened out his form, getting into the proper stance to assert his dominance. "Or I'll make you back off." He cracked his neck, never once breaking eye contact. A pleased smile came onto his face when he saw the fear reflect in the green eyes of the boy that pissed him off.

The black-haired boy sat there frozen stiff, his limbs numb from fear but his body still shook. The terror of being on the other end of his stare was horrifying. It was like he could kill him. Sweat dripped down the side of his face as he clenched his teeth together. "Is this why you refused, Okuda-san? Because you're involved with this delinquent?!" he pointed an accusing finger at the redhead, his gaze was unfocused, and he started to breathe heavily. "Or could it be that he's blackmailing you into being with him? Yes, that makes sense. He looks like the type. You see, this is even more of a reason to be with me! My family is well off; I can protect you from thugs like him. I can-!"

"That's enough!" Okuda pushed away from Karma to stand in front of the boy, stopping his rambling, her hands clenched into weak fists at her side. Her gaze wasn't steady as she looked down at him, but the determined look in them burned brightly. "I don't care what you say about me, but I won't let you talk badly about Karma-kun. He's an important person to me!" she shouted, eyes clenched tightly as she spoke what was in her heart. Though she was embarrassed and her cheeks burned she didn't regret was she was saying.

" _Well this is unexpected,"_ Asano, who had been silently watching from the sidelines, thought as he crossed his arms to take in this whole situation. From the moment the frantic boy had appeared he already figured out the situation. He had confessed to the girl, but when she rejected him, he had chased her down to try and change her answer. The entire time he had spouting nonsense about Akabane forcing the girl to be with him he had seen the boy's anger slowly increase. He was sure he was going to hit him and forcefully ensure that the boy never bothered the girl again. But to his surprise, the timid girl had sprung out all by herself and was now yelling at the one who chased her down and reprimanding him for saying such cruel things about her friend. He grinned, his interest peaking at this amusing scene.

"Ha…" Hearing an amused laugh Asan's ears perked up, and he turned to see the source of the noise. He groaned, one eye twitching when he saw the satisfied grin on the boy's face. "Well, you see, that's how it is," He ran one hand through his bright red locks. "I'm important." A dusting of pink appearing on his cheeks that was upright from his wide grin. He looked very happy at this moment.

Asano suddenly felt like hitting him.

Okuda took in a deep breath, breathing in through her nose and exhaling from her mouth. A technique she learned last year to help her calm down. "I really do appreciate your feelings, but I'm sorry. I can't return them." She bowed to him, offering her apologies for not returning his feelings.

The black haired teen sat there frozen once more but this time instead of in fear it was from shock. The things he just encountered, they weren't normal. How could the usual meek girl he's seen around campus speak to gallantly about a boy that was nothing more than a delinquent? It didn't make any sense. "This is so stupid!" he cried, jumping to his feet and glared at the group. "I was an idiot for having a crush on you. Anyone who would willingly keep company with a menace to society like him has to be crazy!" he cried, running out of the park at top speed to get away from them. But before he could make it to the exit, he was hit in the head by a water balloon filled with wasabi sauce. His screams echoed loudly throughout the entire park.

Karma grinned, bringing the arm he had used to throw the hellish water balloon to rest on his hip. "Idiots like him should know never to turn their back on a delinquent." He stuck his tongue out, a gleam of mischief in his eyes as he listened to the continuous cries of his victim.

"How long have you had that on you?" Asano sometimes couldn't believe this guy rivaled him in academics. Especially when he acts like this.

"Hey, you kids! What's going on here?"

~X~

"I want to apologize again for involving you in this," Okuda repeatedly apologized to her old friend. Ever since they left the park and made their way into a café, she has been apologizing to him ever since, feeling guilty that her problem had become his. "I didn't think he would behave that way after I rejected him."

The tension was still in Karma's shoulders; his body seemed like it was ready to go into attack mood at any second. "I've told you, you don't need to apologize. The most important thing is that you rejected the guy." He mumbled the last part more to himself, but he was still heard.

Smiling at her old friend she turned her sights to the other occupant at their table. "Thank you again for your help as well, Asano-san. If you hadn't been there to talk down the officer, I don't know what we would have done." She smiled politely at the strawberry-blonde sitting across from her.

The commotion they caused caught the attention of everyone at the park, and it wasn't a surprise that someone called the cops on them. A pair of them had arrived to confront the group. She had been a bumbling mess, and Karma just teased them. It was only because of Asano and his smooth talking they were able to walk away with only a warning. After everything had settled down, she had offered to treat the two as a way to express her gratitude.

Said boy raised one hand, waving off her gratitude. "It's fine," he sat there, a little dumbfounded. This was not how he had been expecting this day to turn out. If anyone from school saw him with two former E-Class students, it would undoubtedly cause an uproar of rumors. Not that he really cared. The students in his school gossiped on a daily basis about each other, and he learned a long time ago not to pay attention to words of lesser beings.

"If it's fine then leave already."

Asano twitched, glaring at the redhead that sat across from him in the booth, the tip of his tongue out in a bored but teasing fashion. Though he was doing an excellent job of hiding it, Asano still saw it. The sharp gaze in the boy's mercury-colored eyes and the hidden meaning they were giving him. "Believe me, staying in your company any longer than I have to is revolting but Okuda-san has generously offered to treat me, and I was raised never to be rude to a lady." He offered the girl a polite smile of his own, one that he has perfected over the years. He didn't miss the way the redhead next to her tensed up even more. Personally, he'd rather be at home studying but he was raised to have manners, and he would follow the etiquette he was raised with.

"Um…" Okuda opened her mouth to speak but thought better of it. But when their eyes were on her, she felt very embarrassed. She was ready to brush it aside, but when she looked at Karma, she remembers her lesson in Class 3-E and what Koro-sensei taught her. Communication is key. "Asano-san, please don't stay just because you feel like you have too. I wouldn't want to force you into doing something that makes you feel uncomfortable." She gave him was full of kindness.

His eyebrows arched up, taken aback by her words. So she saw through him? He grinned, picking up his own cup of coffee and taking a slow sip of it. His taste buds gagged in protest, he was used to the finer things in life, but he found he didn't completely hate it. "Thank you for your consideration, but I think I would like to stick around for a little bit longer." The smile he offered her this time was still polite but gentler than before. He didn't miss the menacing glare he was receiving from the redhead sitting next to her. _"Consider this payback."_ He smirked at his rival. He knew very well that he wanted him gone so that he could be alone with the girl but he found this entire situation much too amusing. After months of dealing with the boy's constant teasing and prank and attitude he found a new way to get his revenge that didn't involve coming in first on an exam. "So tell us Okuda-san, who was that young man from before? He seemed very adamant about being with you." He honestly didn't care, this was just typical teenage drama that always happens, but he was enjoying this new form of payback.

Lilac eyes looked carefully at the smiling boy sitting across from her. She's seen that pleasant smile of his plenty of times during her three years at Kunugigaoka. The last year made it easier for her to tell the difference between real smiles and fake smiles. Just by looking at him she knew that he didn't really care about the trouble she had been dealing with, but strangely he was interested in it. He really was a strange guy. "His name is Shinji. He's a second-year student at my school. We've only talked occasionally, but this morning he left me a letter in my shoe locker telling me he liked me and asked for me to give him my reply at lunchtime." Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink as she was explaining her story. Her hands were fiddling with the ends of her skirt nervously.

And suddenly the pieces fell into place. "You attend Oku-Tokyo, correct? I've heard it's a very prestigious school," he folded his two hands together, letting his chin rest on top of his folded appendages. He cast a sideways glance to Akabane, who was playing with the small containers of creamers. He had added many packets of sugar and at least five cups of creamer to his coffee before he took a sip of it. The amount of sugar this boy consumed was disgusting. Although he tried to appear nonchalant Asano could tell that he was listening intently. "A school like that must be rather strict with its rules and regulations. Especially when it comes to the usage of cell phones." He grinned, his pearly white showing off as his lip curled upwards in amusement when he saw the fierce look from the boy sitting across from him.

She nodded, looking a little confused. "That's true, but I…" this time she pushed her two pointer fingers together, looking slightly embarrassed. "This was the first time anyone has ever confessed to me, and I wasn't sure what to do so between the breaks in classes I was texting Karma-kun and Kaede-chan to ask for their advice."

"Is that so?" And now the puzzle was complete. "I was wondering why Akabane seemed so out of it all day long. The news of this confession for you had him rather distraught." A chill ran down his spine, and his mouth suddenly became very dry. It felt like he was about to swallow his own tongue. The bloodlust he felt the previous two times today were nothing compared to what he was experiencing now. If looks could kill, he'd be six feet under by now. His heart started racing as he stared into the raging cold eyes of his rival. He's never seen him look so angry before. He had overstepped his bounds.

Oblivious to the menacing aura radiating next to her Okuda tried her best to fight off the crooked smile that ultimately made its way onto her face. "I don't know why but hearing that makes me really happy," she giggled, placing her two hands on her blushing cheeks.

As if by magic the bloodlust dried up and in its place, a much more relaxed and blissful aura surrounded the redhead. His full attention was on her now, his eyes seemingly sparkling as he stared at her. A wide grin spread across his face when he caught sight of her blushing cheeks.

"I guess it's because," she turned to face him, tilting her head upwards slightly so that she could look him in the eyes. It had only been a few months since they graduated from junior high but he grew height. It was strange, but lately, she found she started to notice minor details about him that normally one overlooks. "Karma-kun is my best friend."

The twinkle in his eyes faded fast and his shoulders slumped. His face void of any emotion as he stared at the girl that didn't realize the effect of her words.

If Asano were a regular person he would have found this scene to be rather humorous and probably even laughed. Instead, he sat there, his face its usual neutral appearance, as he pitted the frozen redhead.

The grin that formed on Karma's face was tight and his teeth were bared. "Just your best friend?" one eye twitched as he said that phrase.

She nodded, blinded to the discomfort he was currently trying to hide. "Kaede-chan is my best girl friend, and Karma-kun is my best boy friend."

Asano wasn't aware that there could be people in this world that were that oblivious. He sighed, shaking his head slightly as he took another sip of his coffee. It was oddly starting to grow on him. His pity for the boy was growing deeper by the second. Setting the cup down he set his violet eyes back on the redhead; he was alarmed when he saw the tightness in his face lessen and turn into a cunning smile as his eyes twinkled with that familiar mischievous gleam.

"That's right," Karma smiled, sliding one arm around her shoulders as he pulled their bodies closer together. "Tomorrow if that Shinji guy or anyone else bothers you, you tell them that they'll have to deal with your one and only best _boy_ friend." He made sure to emphasize that one word.

She smiled and nodded, clearly not catching his hidden meaning. "Okay, I will. Thank you." Suddenly her phone started to ring. Taking the device out of her pocket she beamed when she saw who was calling her. "It's Kaede-chan." Excusing herself, she exited the booth and stepped outside to take the call.

With her gone, it left just the two boys.

"She's not very bright, is she?" Asano stated simply, finishing off his coffee. It left a funny aftertaste in his mouth, and he wouldn't be rushing back to cup another cup, but all things considered, it wasn't the worst thing he's ever had.

The laid-back grin Karma wore quickly formed into a tight frown. He glared at his rival, showing his annoyance towards the strawberry-blonde boy and his unnecessary words from earlier. "Don't you think it's time you go running home to daddy?" he leaned back in the booth, his elbows resting on the top of the booth as his arms hung loosely down. To anyone passing by it looked like he was merely getting comfortable but Asano knew better. He was trying to intimidate him.

He smirked, leaning back himself but he crossed his arms, looking unfazed by the menacing glower he was receiving. "I must say I find it rather amusing that you have found yourself at the mercy of a girl who can't even figure out the feelings you have for her." he was pushing all the right buttons. He's lived with his father long enough and witnessed many experiences with the man break countless lives from saying all the right words. Or was it better to say the wrong words? Either way, he knew that saying such things were liable to set the boy off and he was ready for a fight.

But to Asano's surprise instead of lunging at him, Karma's body relaxed as he let out a long sigh. "I know, right. She's totally oblivious. She's way too absorbed in her world of science to even consider romance," he sighed, leaning forward so that his cheek rested against his hand, his eyes looking at the girl that was the object of his affection as she talked adamantly on the phone. "But that's just part of her charm," he smiled fondly, eyes glazing over slightly as he watched his former classmate and current crush talk happily to her friend on the phone. Grunting softly he stretched his arms up, crossing them behind his head as he got himself comfortable in the booth. "And besides, it'll just make winning her over that much sweeter." His smile held no malice or ill-intended. He wasn't planning something deadly or scheming a prank. His smile was pure, filled with the raw emotions he felt for the girl.

It was a sight Asano wasn't sure he was meant to see. Clearing his throat, he started to gather his things and placed a few bills on the table. Okuda may have offered to treat him, but he hated being in people's debt. With his school page tucked safety in his arms he bid his farewell. "I believe it's time I excuse myself," With a curt goodbye, he left the café. This day had been unexpected but oddly entertaining. He never imagined things to turn out the way they did. It would certainly generate some amusing results.

~X~

 _The Next Day_

"Yo," Karma sat down in his seat, casually sliding his bag off as he slouched in his chair. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a few bills and passed them along to the boy next to him. "Okuda-san told me to return this to you. She said she didn't feel right taking your money."

Asano looked up from the book he was reading to stare at what was being offered to him. Taking the bills back he examined them, making sure the redhead didn't attach anything to them that could be considered a prank. But they were clear, and they were the exact same bills he had left behind yesterday at the café. He recognized the serial numbers on them. "She's a surprisingly honest girl. A rarity nowadays." He grinned in amusement, placing the money back inside his wallet.

Karma gave him a pointed look. He hadn't been expecting that answer. "Yeah, she is." He said curtly, not sure how to take that. He knew Okuda was honest; it was that one of the qualities that had attracted him to her. He liked it when people recognized her abilities and praised her, but it was strange to hear it coming from him. With a shrug of his shoulders, he decided it was better not to focus on it. Taking out his own textbooks he began to play with his mechanical pencil in one hand, as he took out his phone with his other. He would text Okuda a quick message before their classes started.

Thumb hovering at his screen he was caught off guard when he saw that Asano had his own phone out and was texting in class. Now, this was a real rarity. The boy was known to follow the rules to a T and he hardly ever had his phone out when school was in session. "Texting a girl?" he smirked, hoping to get a rise out of the boy. He had been stuck his nose in his business yesterday, so it was only fair that he gets to do the same.

"Something like that," Asano answered nonchalantly, showing off his message board to his seatmate. "I'm expressing my gratitude to Okuda-san for returning my money."

Karma sat there frozen. His mind shut down for a moment as his brain tried to process what he had just been told. Asano, the boy who had feverously expressed his disdain for everyone in E-Class all last year was texting Okuda Manami. He hadn't even seen her once since graduation until yesterday, and now suddenly he was messaging her. The pencil Karma held snapped in two when he saw that said girl replied, exchanging pleasantries with the boy. "You bastard!" he growled, fisting shaking as more of the pencil began to shatter into tiny pieces in his clenched fist. A menacing red aura slowly started to form around his ridged body as he resisted the urge to punch the strawberry-blonde. "When the hell did you even exchange numbers?"

Asano grinned, writing back a quick reply. "When I left the café yesterday and bid her a farewell I asked her for her number. I figured if she captured your attention then she must be very interesting." He smirked when his phone buzzed once more, and he made sure to flaunt his screen so that the redhead could see that the girl he held affections for had messages him back.

Karma resisted the urge to punch that grin right off the other boy's face and wrote his own message to the girl. His anger only increased when he heard the bell ring, signaling that class was beginning and his reply wouldn't be coming until the next break.

Just like yesterday when the teacher had entered the classroom he and everyone else were sitting there in fear at the bloodlust that was emitting from Karma. Said boy sat there, fist and teeth clenched as he stared at his own phone once again. He was nearly shaking in his seat as he glared at his screen. He would make sure to tell Okuda not to get to friendly with the boy and avoid talking to him as much as possible. Asano for his part sat calmly in his seat, reviewing the material that was clearly not going to be taught in today's lesson. The poor teacher was too stricken with fear to say anything, but he didn't mind. He found this method easier for him to advance in his studies if he didn't have to go along with the pace of lesser beings. He made sure to make a mental note that the next time Akabane started to annoy him all he needed to do was text the glasses-wearing girl to get back at him.


End file.
